The River's Melody
by bluegoldrose
Summary: Scene between AGMGTW and LKH when River takes her parents home and they have a discussion about everything.


This was written to fill the interlude between A Good Man Goes to War and Let's Kill Hitler since this would have made sense as a scene to show on television. I hope you like it.

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><p>Amy and Rory stared at River, speechless. The daughter they hadn't been expecting but had spent the past few months fighting to keep, the little baby who they had just lost, was a grown woman they had known for over a year, standing right in front of them. She spoke first laying a gentle hand on each of her parents. "I know that you have a lot of questions, and I'll try to tell you as much as I can, but first I need to get all of you home and I don't trust this device to carry all five of us at the same time."<p>

She spoke quickly, informing Rory and Amy that she would take them home first and then she would take Jenny and Vastra home after which she would return to her parents. True to her word, River took her parents home first and promised them that she would return very shortly.

Two hours had passed since Amy and Rory's return home. When they arrived, only two weeks had passed since they left for their trip to America. For the world nothing had changed, but for them everything had changed. At first the young couple just paced anxiously, but eventually they settled onto a couch in their living room and held each other. They both cried but said very few words.

When River teleported into the room, they jumped a little, startled by the sudden sound. "We were starting to wonder if you'd come," Rory said.

She gave them a soft, sympathetic smile. "I thought you might need some time alone together."

Amy looked from the prayer leaf in her hand to her daughter. She spoke slowly, unsure where to start with all the questions in her head. "What happens to you?"

River knelt on the carpet and held Amy's hands. "Mother, so much happens and I wish I could tell you all of it. The Doctor will find me, and I will be alright. But it won't be quite what you expect I think."

"Do, do we get to raise you?"

Amy looked so desperately sad that River couldn't help but tear up. Her expression was sad but there was a hint of a smile on her face. "You'll be with me growing up, but I can't tell you any more. That's the hard part of the lives we have, you know my future and I know yours. I wish I could say we spend time as a normal family, but I can't. I can tell you that you will spend a lot of time with me, but some of it won't be in the right order."

Her parents nodded slowly. Rory looked at her thoughtfully. "Where are you in relation to us with traveling with the Doctor? You look the same as when we saw you last."

She nodded. "For me it's not long after America. The first time you saw me was when the Pandorica opened, right?"

Rory nodded but Amy didn't. "The first time I met you was before that, for me but later for you."

River nodded slowly. "You see the problem of my life with you two then don't you?"

Amy, who had been holding herself together quite well looked at River sadly and broke down sobbing. Rory held her close and River held her mother's hand tightly. "It will be ok mum."

"How will it be alright? You're our daughter but we don't raise you, we don't get to help you when you need us. How can it ever be alright? Why did they do this to us, to you? Why couldn't they just leave us alone?"

"I know it's not fair, and it's not right. They wanted to hurt the Doctor and they used us to do it, but they don't win. It's not easy for any of us but it does get better."

"But the Doctor does die, we saw that happen," Rory said. "How do we know they don't win?"

River smiled a little. "Have faith. Plus that is part of your past; you still have time with the Doctor, we all do. The future won't be easy for either of you, but you will be happy, and I do turn out alright."

"How do you know about us, and how did you know when to tell us?" Rory questioned.

"You told me, and in the future you will tell me. I've always known you were my parents. Knowing that our lives are on different paths I've had to be careful about what I tell you each time, but from now on when you see me we'll both know. We'll never have a normal parent child relationship, but we will be able to know each other."

"We won't always know you when you see us though," Amy said sadly.

"I know," River whispered. "But I've grown accustomed to it. That's part of what the journal is for, to keep track of all the meetings I have with the two of you and the Doctor. Whenever one of you says something about my future I make sure to write it down so that when it happens I'm ready."

"That's how you knew I had come to recruit you to Demon's Run..."

River smiled. "Because you told me right now Dad. I knew to go to Demon's Run at the end of the battle because you will one day tell me the story of the prayer leaf and about how I was born."

"How long do we have to wait to see you again," Amy pled.

River laughed. "It's complicated." Seeing their displeased looks she answered them more seriously. "It won't be long before you see me, but it may be a while before I am the River you know again. The Doctor will return for you soon though, and things will change."

"When will the changes stop, I don't know how much more I can take of this."

"Mum, you can handle everything that will happen to you, but when you are ready for a different life you'll come home to stay."

Amy was startled. "You mean we'll leave the Doctor?"

"When you're ready. He'll visit you though from time to time, especially when I encourage him to. He never returns to other companions, but he'll come back for you. He will always come back to help you."

"How do you control him so much and why do we stop traveling with him," Amy questioned.

Their daughter smiled but replied casually. "He feels responsible for what happened with me and like I said, you'll know when you're ready."

Neither of them looked like they quite believed her. "I just want to be able to hold you again."

"I know mum, and I can't tell you about my childhood, but I can promise you that you'll be able to make up for it."

Her parents looked at her questioningly. "We have other children after you," her father asked.

She smiled mysteriously. "I can't tell you that."

Amy smiled, understanding what her daughter was telling her. "We'll never have a normal life with you, but we'll have a chance to have a normal family. I wish we could have a life with you that made sense Melody."

"So did I, but I wouldn't trade the life I have for a different one for a second. Keep looking for me. One day soon, you'll find me again. I love both of you."

They hugged and talked and laughed and cried for a while. Eventually River left them for her own time with the promise that she would return again one day. When she left, Amy and Rory held one another close. Everything wasn't better, but knowing there daughter would be safe helped to take away much of the pain of losing her. All they had to do was wait for the Doctor to return and they would be that much closer to seeing their daughter again.


End file.
